


Making Good On Borrowed Time

by thewildtype



Category: Killing Eve (TV 2018), The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/F, Second Chances, The Bly Manor/ Killing Eve cross over NO ONE was expecting including the author, True Love, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 12:35:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29100375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewildtype/pseuds/thewildtype
Summary: If there was even the tiniest chance that you could stop it. Go back and intervene. Keep her alive and safe. Would you take it? Could you succeed?ORThe Time Travel AU where Jamie gets a second chance to save Dani from her untimely demise.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 19
Kudos: 43





	1. Wishful Thinking

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr prompt: Jamie wakes up confused and shocked when she realizes she traveled back in time and has a second chance to keep Dani safe.
> 
> Side note: You don't actually need to know who Dasha from Killing Eve is but it is 10x more amusing if you do. Google her or watch a youtube clip at least for the visual and the voice

No matter how many years went by this day never got any easier.

It was a day full of wallowing… and pain.

Jamie felt it so thoroughly, so deeply. There was no escaping it.

Each and every year, it left her sitting up in bed in the darkness of her room trying and failing miserably not to dwell, not to long… not to regret.

She takes another hearty sip of whiskey, welcoming the burning sensation traveling from the back of her throat down to the pit of her stomach. Tearing at her insides as she cycled through the five stages of grief.

Denial was the permanent fixture in her day-to-day life. Today was no exception.

Anger at her own helplessness for not doing more when she still had the chance to stop it. Why had she not intervened sooner? Now she will live in everlasting frustration, alone with this unanswered question.

Bargaining is something she would do, if there were someone to bargain with.

Depression from the haunting survivor’s guilt.

Acceptance never crossed her mind for a second.

Ultimately, she settled for crying her sorrows into the bottle of whiskey, a tried-and-true friend on her day of mourning. One free of judgement or unwelcomed advice.

She hears the distinct sound of the front door creaking, something that’s been on her to do list to fix for ages, but she never quite worked up the will power nor the care to actually do anything about. There’s only one person this could be. Only one person alive that has a key to her abode. Jamie knew he would come. It was an unspoken tradition between them. He was always there for her every year.

“Good afternoon love. How are you getting on?” Owen said, leaning against the door frame of her room.

Jamie sloshes the half empty bottle of whiskey in response. “Jack and I are gettin’ on just fine.”

Owen’s smile falters contorting into a look of pity. Jamie can’t stand it. She takes another long swig of the whiskey to dull her anger. Owen marches to the window and whips open the blinds. Sunlight streams in illuminating the room, proving it really was well into the day. Jamie wouldn’t know, she hadn’t moved since she woke up sometime before dawn. Jamie recoils at the light burying her head under the pillow.

She feels the weight of the bed dipping and a strong hand rubbing circles on her back.

“I’m sorry love, but I can’t leave you alone. Not today.” Owen pries the bottle from Jamie’s grasp. She didn’t have the strength nor the will to put up a decent fight. She’s just so tired.

“How ironic. Today is the anniversary of the day I became alone. The day she…” Jamie trails off, unable to finish that sentence. She didn’t even realize she was crying until Owen began dabbing at her cheeks with a tissue.

“I know.” Owen whispers. He wraps her in a hug, rocking her gently until there were no more tears.

“Wherever she is,” Owen cooed, “I know she misses you too. I also know, she wouldn’t want you to waste away like this. She’d want you to live.”

Live.

The word was absent from Jamie’s current vocabulary.

Living implied joy. Something to look forward to.

Jamie simply existed. Stagnant in purgatory. Going through the motions each day as the earth twirled on its axis until, inevitably, the anniversary of the day her beloved left this mortal coil came around again, and again in an endless cycle.

Eventually, Owen coaxed her out of bed. He leads Jamie to the bathroom with a set of fresh clothing leaving her to shower while he made lunch in the kitchen. Jamie stands under the warm stream of water. She pops the metal drain stopper in, watching the water pool around her feet all the way up to her ankles. She stares into the water hoping to see a glimpse of Dani looking back.

But she didn’t. She never did.

Jamie takes way too long showering, but Owen doesn’t say anything. He seemed pleased that she was moving around and out of bed at all today. After eating some actual nourishment along with a nonalcoholic beverage, Owen insisted on taking Jamie out of the house.

Jamie puts up a half-hearted battle but quickly concedes.

By the time they leave the house the sun had fully set over the horizon.

They walk together along the outskirts of town until they stumbled upon a carnival. It was a classic scene, straight out of some wholesome, old timey movie. Complete with colorful lights, odd music, kids dragging their parents to rides, and couples walking hand in hand meandering about like they had all the time in the world. Jamie’s stomach sours at the sight.

Owen must have sensed her shift in mood. He linked their arms, steering Jamie down the alley of games. They played a few rounds of some shooting target game. It did help Jamie alleviate some of her frustration and work through some of her feelings. She even managed to win a stuffed bear. It’s the type of cheap prize you’d spend way too much time and money winning in order to give to a date. It was the type of gesture Dani would have loved it.

Jamie sighed heavily, stuffing the fuzzy prize into her jacket pocket.

They continued walking around the fair until they spotted a psychic’s booth. Owen suggested they get a reading, hoping some news of the future would cheer her up.

They entered the Unbreakable and All-knowing Dasha’s establishment.

The inside of the booth was dark and dingy with an aura of mystic. Exactly what you’d expect from a fortune telling gimmick at a rinky dink carnival. Owen and Jamie took their seats in the empty rickety fold out chairs adjacent to the single circular table. Jamie flicked the opaque crystal ball on the table. As if on cue, the clinking noise summoned the grifter crone from behind the purple curtains. She had sunken features giving her a wizened look with eyes that seemed way too intense for her cartoonish profession. Her ashen hair was wrapped in a purple scarf with a few bangs peeking out, a matching flowing robe, and dangling golden necklace with single sizable emerald.

“Ahh, visitors for the great Dasha.” Said the mystic in a thick Russian drawl. She settled into the cushioned chair in front of the crystal ball. “Dasha talks to dead,” Dasha continued as she waved her hands aimlessly around the crystal ball, “see’s your future, you name it. She makes wildest dreams come true for a reasonable price.” She ends her performance, by looking directly at Jamie. “There must be something you want.”

Jamie shifts uncomfortably in her seat under Dasha’s scrutiny. She crosses her arms across her chest.

“What I want you can’t possibly give me. No one can. It’s impossible.”

A crooked smile forms out of the corner of Dasha’s mouth. “How do you know unless you ask Dasha?”

Jamie huffs in frustration. She was in no mood to play trivial games.

“If you’re all knowin’ then can’t you find the answer for yourself?”

Dasha chuckles, hovering her hand over the crystal ball and closing her eyes shut. “If you insist.”

After a few seconds, the lights flicker in the tent accompanied by the passing of a strong chilly breeze.

Owen leans over into Jamie’s space commenting on the parlor tricks.

“Wow, she is really committed.” Jamie nods in agreement.

“Hmm,” Dasha began, pursing her lips and furrowing her brows in concentration, “I see you lost someone you loved. Both of you did. Not at the same time, but… under similar circumstances.” The lights begin flickering again. “Something _very powerful_ took them. Keeps them there still.”

“Keeps them where?” Jamie asks.

“A large property out in England. A place called Bly.”

The accuracy of Dasha’s statement piques Jamie’s interest. She shifts in her chair leaning closer, peering into the crystal ball hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever Dasha saw.

“Who are _they_ exactly?” Jamie asks with a shaky voice.

“Danielle Clayton and Hannah Grove.” Dasha states matter-of-factly.

Jamie loses it the instant she hears her wife’s name. All of her pent-up emotions come flooding to the surface crashing into her like a tsunami. She shot to her feet, grabbing the edge of the table. Words of desperation tumbled out of her mouth before her brain could even register what was happening.

“Dani’s trapped? Is she hurt? Is she ok? Why hasn’t she escaped?” A warm hand settled over hers, grounding her temporarily. Jamie tore her gaze from the mystic to meet Owen’s widened eyes. It appeared she wasn’t the only one suffering from shock at this very moment.

“Yes,” Dasha continued, captivating both Jamie and Owen, “trapped by the first one. The dark, powerful one. She is keeping them both there. They can’t escape. Not now, anyway.”

Jamie sinks back into her chair, crumbling under the weight of Dasha’s words. A small, tiny piece of her had always clung to hope that Dani’s afterlife was peaceful. To hear that it was eternal torment broke her heart all over again.

“Viola…” Jamie whispers. It all came back to her. Always.

Dasha nods her head in confirmation. “Such a pity.”

“It’s more than that.” Jamie began, unable to hold back her feelings, “It’s a bloody tragedy! One Dani didn’t deserve the be a part of. I always knew there was somethin’ rotten about that place I-I knew it! I should have seen it comin’. Should have stopped it, _somehow_ … There’s nothin’ I regret more than standin’ by while she willingly locked herself in Viola’s iron cage at the bottom of the lake.”

After her sudden outburst, Jamie deflates while the crippling hopelessness settles in.

“Everything you seek is there. Trapped in time.” Dasha offered. Jamie looked up, meeting her gaze searching for an ounce of falsehood. Finding none at all.

“Ah well all you need is a time machine. Then you can solve everything.” Owen jested next to her in an attempt to conceal his own heartbreak. But Jamie was past that. She was desperate.

Dasha grimaced at Owen’s comment. “Time machine? Pft that is _crazy_. You do not need machine for this, just a bit of hocus pocus intervening at just the right moment. That will do the trick.”

Jamie gets an insane idea.

She shoves her hand into her front pocket pulling out every scrap of cash she had and slamming it down onto the table in front of Dasha. Jamie fought back the tears hovering in her eyes as she stared at Dasha.

“I have a wish. Just one. It’s the _only_ thing I want. I want Dani back, free, _alive_. By any means necessary. I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Owen grabs Jamie’s arm, trying to comfort her. She brushes it off staring at Dasha. Neither woman blinking.

Dasha grins and swipes the money from the table pocketing it somewhere in her robe.

“Leave it to Dasha. In the meantime, be patient and ready.”

After her cryptic promise, Dasha exited the tent leaving Owen and Jamie behind.

“Well, I hope you didn’t need that money because you’re never seeing it again.” Owen said, clearly annoyed at the unexpected turn of events at this supposedly innocent psychic reading.

They called it quits on the carnival after that and walked back to Jamie’s home. After crossing the threshold, Jamie beelined for the bottle of Jack taking a hardy swig of the whiskey.

“Easy with that Jamie.” Owen warned, “You’ve got to be careful otherwise you’ll-”

“I’ll what? Lose everything? Bit late for that now. Unless Dasha really is made of magic.” Her last sentence was laced with bitterness. She truly felt foolish for giving Dasha money. As if the old Russian was made of miracles or something.

Jamie continues to drown her sorrow in amber alcohol well after Owen leaves. Until her eyelids become too heavy to stay awake. She stumbles around the house, pausing for a moment or two in front of the photos on the mantle. Happy memories. She gingerly touches each of them starting with the one of her and Dani smiling in front of the Leafling. It was taken moments before they opened the shop for the very first time. Her finger pad travels to the next, one of Dani with her arms wrapped around her from behind. They were in a frosted forest in Vermont. Dani had taken her there as a surprise just before Christmas. Then there was the last. She tapped the frame of their wedding photo, well not technically a wedding, but a celebration of their ever-lasting union. They were clinking flutes of champagne smiling at one another with nothing, but pure adoration plastered all over their faces.

This house- their house- was filled with so many memories. It was suffocating. Jamie escaped the warm of her house opting for fresh air outside. She slumped into the rocking chair on the porch by her tiny garden. The chill in the air was a welcomed refreshment. Jamie took a deep breath letting the icy air coat her insides. She slipped her hands into her jacket pocket for warmth noticed something rotund and soft. She retracted the object noticing the tiny bear from the carnival. She clutched the stuffed animal to her chest as she rocked herself to sleep.

When Jamie wakes up, she is still outside lying flat on her back. The gently rays of sunshine are warm on her face and the birds are chirping around her creating a wonderful soundtrack. Oddly enough, her head doesn’t hurt too much and when she stretches her arms and legs, she doesn’t hear the creakiness in her joints nor does she feel general weariness in her limbs. In fact, she feels better than she has in ages.

Jamie sits up, blinking a few times. As her eyes adjust, her surroundings come into focus. She’s sitting along the edge of a forest with a sprawling field in front of her. Jamie brushes it off, figuring she must have sleepwalked somewhere during the night while in her drunken stupor. But where?

There aren’t any parks near her home. She looked around trying to get her bearings. She didn’t recognize any landmarks, but there was something _familiar_ about this place.

“You know you snore while you sleep.”

Jamie nearly jumps out of her skin, startled by the familiar Russian drawl. She turns around spotting Dasha.

“You! What are you doing here? Did you drug me a-and kidnap me?” Jamie has a sudden realization, “You’re planning on killing me, aren’t you?”

“Dasha does not kidnap and kill,” She explains while casually shrugging, “Not anymore.”

Jamie tries to get past the nonchalant “I don’t kill any more”. But it’s just way too much for this already bizarre morning.

“Then why are we, here?!” Jamie screams in frustration.

“You pay for wish. Dasha gives you wish.” Dasha waves at the surroundings.

That’s when it clicks.

The money. Her desperate wish to save Dani. The familiar landscape…

She was back at Bly Manor… back _then_. Jamie pulls at a stand of her hair. It was brown...

Jamie’s heart beats wildly against her ribcage. “How much time do I have here?” She asks.

“Your time is not up to Dasha. It is up to you.”

Dasha moved towards Jamie, then gently grabs her wrist sliding the hem of flannel up her arm revealing a watch. Jamie eyes the piece of jewelry with curiosity. It didn’t belong to her. In fact, she’d never seen it before in her life. It was nice looking, she supposed. Tan leather band, stark white face free of numbers, and two silver hands ticking… backwards?

Counterclockwise…

“When your time is almost up.” Dasha continued tapping the face of the watch. “The tiny numbers will appear to let you know how much time is left. ”

“I don’t understand.” Jamie admits shaking her head from side to side.

“You wished to get your love back, by any means necessary. Well, here you are! You have plenty of time to stop it from happening. _But_ , there will come a point when is it too late to intervene. A time when her fate is sealed. Forever. That is what the watch will tell you. It will count down until the last second you have left to stop Viola from taking her. When time is finished, Dasha comes to get you.”

Jamie nods in understanding. “So, all I have to do is keep Dani away from Viola long enough to run out the clock.”

Dasha scrunches her face. “Not exactly. Fate is not so simple to change. In order to stop this, you need to stop _her_.”

“Viola?”

“It all started with her. You end her. You end it all. Once and for all.”

“Ok.” Keep Dani safe forever. Jamie likes the sound of that. “End Viola. How hard can that be?”

Dasha laughs. “People are easy to kill. Ghosts are more of a challenge. I was assassin for many years. Trust what I tell you.”

“What?!”

“Look, I teach you what you need to know. First, I teach you Russian sleeper hold. It will come in handy. You place your hand at base of neck, and squeeze nerves until target falls asleep.”

Jamie furrows her brows in confusion. Dasha sighs, taking a step towards Jamie and placing her hand at the base of her neck. “Like this.”

Once again, Jamie wakes up on the ground staring at the sky. Only this time, the sun was higher in the sky and the rays felt more intense against her skin. She must have been out for a while. She sits up glaring at Dasha standing in front of her with a shit eating grin on her face.

“Ahh, good you are still alive! Now there are a few more things to go over. I have studied Viola and I have plan to stop her. You will need salt. When you draw a circle around her in salt, it will contain her. Then you will read this incantation.” Dasha hands Jamie a slip of parchment, “The spell will bind her to a talisman – something _of her_. You will need to find talisman on the property and have that with you when you say the words.”

“Any hints as to what this talisman looks like?” Jamie asks as she pockets the parchment in the front pocket of her jeans.

Dasha shrugs, “I am not sure. The watch will help you find it though. Oh! I should mention the watch will glow when Viola’s essence comes within one meter of it. Think of it as a mystical energy detector. It warns you when danger is nearby.”

Jamie runs through the list of instructions and Russian assassin move with Dasha to make sure she has everything down.

“Watch counts down my time and detects ghosts. Use the Russian pinch to tranquillize enemies, find talisman, trap Viola in salt, read the words. Poof! Save Dani forever.”

“You got it. I will be back for you when the time is right.” Dasha closes her eyes. She starts muttering something under her breath but stops mid-muttering. She looks at Jamie. “Oh, I almost forgot. Make sure to avoid butterfly phenomena.” Dasha winks, finishes whatever she was mumbling, and then disappears leaving Jamie alone in the fields of Bly Manor.

“Butterfly phenomena?” Jamie whispers trying to work out what exactly that means. She decides to keep things simple and avoid butterflies for now.

Jamie wanders from the woods in a daze. Still in shock that this is actually happening. It has to be happening. Jamie has to believe that this is happening. She is really here, and she is not going to squander any potential chance to save Dani.

With each step she takes, Jamie feels a reconnection to the grounds. She’s avoided them for so long. Her memory tarnished with the last trip to Bly. The final one, to see the fate of her beloved with her own two eyes. She had almost forgotten just how beautiful this place was.

Jamie continues walking in the direction of the manor, taking in the scenery. She diverts her course towards what she remembers as a shortcut through a small thicket. When she emerges out into the open field again, she stumbles upon a weird scene.

It was Hannah, alive and well, backing up towards a well staring at Miles. 

Something felt off about this. The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention.

Miles’s face contorted into a sinister grimace as he advanced closer, laying his hands upon Hannah.

Jamie got the sense that if she let this play out, someone was going to end up at the bottom of the well.

“Oi!” Jamie screamed.

Miles’s deadly gaze snapped towards Jamie. A flash of anger gracing his features. Jamie rushes to Miles, grabbing him by the shoulders and shaking him trying to knock some sense into him. The temporary distraction afforded Hannah the opportunity to shake loose from Miles’s grip and move away from the well, putting enough distance between herself, the well, and Miles to provide Jamie with relief that whatever scenario she just walked into had indeed been avoided.

“What the fuck was that?” Jamie asked in outrage. She notices a pulsing greenish glow emanating from the watch on her wrist indicating something supernatural was nearby.

Perhaps something was…

Miles would never try to push someone down a well… but Peter Quint would do it in a heartbeat.

“ _You_ …” Jamie growls glaring at Miles. She sees a flash of recognition in his eyes and a glint of something malevolent. Miles grabs her wrists, squeezing too tightly for comfort. Jamie gets an idea, remembering what Dasha taught her. She squeezed at the base of his neck attempting to do the Russian sleeper hold.

“Ouch! What are you doing?” Miles cries when Jamie’s technique fails.

Luckily, Jamie is saved from further ghost battling failure by Flora’s impeccable timing.

“Miles, Miles! She’s here!” Flora yells as she approaches. Her tiny feet padding across the grounds.

Jamie’s body tenses up. Her hold on Miles momentarily slackens. He weasels out of her grasp trotting off towards his sister and…

“Hello there, you must be the new au pair. I’m Hannah Groves, the housekeeper.” Hannah says moving out of Jamie’s peripheral vision.

“Yes, I’m Dani it’s very nice to meet you.”

It’s the voice that does it.

Followed by the visual.

Dani.

Her Dani. Alive and well. Breathing, smiling, walking, talking, _living_.

Nothing could have prepared her for the onslaught of crippling emotions from seeing Dani alive again.

It was too much all at once.

Jamie’s legs give out beneath her. She falls on her knees, staring in awe with her mouth agape long enough for Hannah to notice. Long enough for Dani’s blue eyes to notice too.

When their eyes lock, Jamie’s heart almost stops.

Two blue eyes. She counted three times just to be sure. Just to confirm they both were that beautiful shade of blue Jamie remembered. Her favorite color in the entire world.

It was Dani.

This was really happening.

“Jamie?” Hannah began, eyeing her with concern. “Are you ok? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”


	2. The Butterfly Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie learns a thing or two about her present situation.

Jamie continues staring in silence completely oblivious to the small crowd staring at her in various states of confusion.

All she sees is Dani. Standing in front of her. Living and breathing.

Her two beautiful blues eyes sparkling from the gentle rays of sunlight and simmering with curiosity as she appraises Jamie with her head tilted to the side. Jamie feels every millisecond as Dani evaluates her, taking her time as she gazes up and down the length of her body. Her lips twitch, contorting into an amused smirk clearly pleased with what she sees. Encouraged by Dani’s brazen behavior, Jamie summons the strength to will her legs to move. Rising slowly to her feet without ever taking her eyes off of Dani.

“H-hi.” Dani says. The light and melodic tone of her voice sends a wave of relief through Jamie. For the life of her, she can’t remember the last time Dani’s voice sounded so carefree without the gravity of her impending demise weighing her down. The beauty of it all had Jamie fighting back tears.

Her beloved is finally free once more.

“Hi.” Jamie manages to say. Her own voice was breathless, barely above a whisper. She wasn’t even sure she said anything out loud at all, but Dani’s small giggle and accompanying shy smile were confirmation that she indeed said something.

Dani extends her hand outward in greeting. “I’m Dani.”

Jamie registers the gesture, then takes one single conscious step forward. After that her body takes over, unable to stop moving towards her until Jamie crowds Dani and engulfs her in a hug. Practically every cell in Jamie’s body comes alive the moment they connect.

“Jamie.” She whispers, clutching Dani tighter. Savoring the familiar swelling of her heart from holding Dani in her arms again. Taking great comfort from the warmth of her living body and the subtle pounding of her beating heart.

Jamie’s knees nearly buckle underneath her _again_ as she inhales Dani’s sweet scent. A wonderful mixture of vanilla and sugar. Sweet, just like Dani. That familiar scent lingered on her pillowcase and clothing for a few months after she passed before disappearing all together. Now it was here, coating her nostrils and flooding her system with a multitude of associated feelings and memoires.

Soon a pair of hands settle along her back and begin gently patting the muscles underneath. The soft touch anchors Jamie to the present moment. Providing much needed reassurance that this was not some weirdly vivid dream.

“My, everyone here is just so welcoming.” Dani remarks in reference to Jamie’s warm welcome.

The bubbly voice penetrates Jamie’s mind, temporarily bursting her bubble of euphoria as her brain finally registers what was happening.

This was the very first time the two of them have met one another in this version of reality.

If that were true, which Jamie was one thousand percent sure was the case, this now extended hug that she, a total stranger, just imposed on Dani was probably incredibly odd for Dani. Judging by the look of surprise on Hannah’s face and the children’s, they were equally perplexed by her overtly affectionate greeting for the new au pair.

Despite finally having Dani in her arms, Jamie knew what she had to do. She had to let go, for now. She fights her body on a molecular level, forcing each atom to move as she releases Dani taking a painful step backwards. A step away from her.

When she cautiously looks at Dani, Jamie could have sworn she sees a faint blush on the au pair’s cheeks as she tucks a strand of loose hair behind her ear. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about Dani’s attraction to her becoming altered in this timeline. Much to her relief it still seemed very much intact.

“Yes, our gardener isn’t usually this friendly with…” Hannah casts a curious glance in Jamie’s direction, “Well, with anyone really. Everyone is just so delighted to have you here. Now, shall we head inside? We can all give you a tour of the house.”

Dani nod yes. “That sounds perfect.” The noticeable wince as Dani adjusts her bag over her shoulder reboots Jamie’s brain coaxing her into chivalrous mode.

“I’ll carry that for you.” Jamie offers in reference to Dani’s heavy bag. The moment the words slip out of her mouth she quickly tries to correct herself. Realizing her offer to do spouse things like carry heavy bags, which is something Jamie knew Dani hated to do, might come off as more weird behavior from the gardener that just gave her a surprise twenty second hug upon saying hello for the very first time. “Uh, if you like, that is. The house is a bit far from here and it seems like you’ve been carryin’ that thing for a while. Thought you might fancy a break.”

“Thank you. I’d really appreciate that.” Dani replies, smiling sweetly as she hands over her belongings.

Jamie happily accepts the heavy bag, slinging the straps over her shoulders. She feels better having successfully dodged another potentially awkward moment in the pursuit of grappling with the reality of simply existing in Dani’s presence.

The group takes their time walking towards the main house with Hannah at the front making small talk with Dani and the kids frolicking about in the general vicinity. Jamie opts to follow along deliberately lagging a few paces behind them only half listening to Hannah rambling on about the history of the estate. Unfortunately, one of the few phrases Jamie did make out were mentions of the Lloyd family which triggered a flood of nervous energy to course through her veins. An unpleasant reminder of her mission.

To keep the lingering former owner away from Dani at any cost and vanquish her once and for all.

After walking for about a half an hour, they arrive at the main house. Jamie trails behind the group into the foyer closing the door behind her with a loud thud that echoes throughout the vast chambers of the mansion. Jamie has walked through the front doors of this house hundreds of times before, but this time it was different. The air inside felt colder. She was filled with a sense of foreboding as she continued to follow along on Dani’s tour throughout all the nooks and crannies of the ancient house. Only feeling marginally better when they finally arrive at Dani’s quarters.

Over time, Jamie grew a certain fondness for this room. Tied to the memories she and Dani once shared, or rather, _will_ share. She had to keep reminding herself of _when_ it is. The constant shifting made her brain hurt.

She places Dani’s bag on the floor in front of the window. Out of her peripheral vision, she notices something she wasn’t expecting to see. When she does a double take, she nearly has a heart attack.

It was _her_! Another Jamie working in the garden just outside Dani’s window.

In her silent panic, Jamie racks her brain trying to recall anything at all she knew about time travel from books and movies that might explain why she suddenly had a twin roaming the grounds. Until it dawns on her…

“Holy butterflies!” She mutters under her breath.

This must be what Dasha meant by the butterfly phenomena. She isn’t the only Jamie existing at this time. Past Jamie and future Jamie are both here. And if she’s learned anything from fictional time traveling, it’s that past selves and present selves should never meet!

Why wasn’t there a rule book for this?

As Jamie grappled with the fact that she now has to avoid running into herself or risk outing herself as from another timeline while also somehow saving the love of her life, said love of her life started approaching her from the far end of the room with a look of worry plastered on her face.

“Are you ok?” Dani asked.

Jamie whips around, noticing Dani was taking another tentative step closer to her, the widow, and her other self. She knew she needed to act now, and fast to create a diversion to get everyone, especially Dani, as far away from the window as possible.

“Uh yeah….” Think Jamie! “I was just saying…” Think of something, anything! “… butterflies. They um…”

They what!? She doesn’t know a goddamn thing about butterflies! Aside from…

“They have these tiny wings sometimes with colors and sometimes without and like to hang out in the garden.” In between rambling inane facts about butterflies, Jamie dares to peak out the window, breathing a long sigh of relief when other Jamie was nowhere in sight. “Nature. Am I right?”

Everyone in the room looked at her like she was an escaped mental patient. Even Dani had her signature “bless your heart” face which she reserved for polite silent judgement.

“So, I’m going to go and um, do the nature thing. In the garden... with the butterflies.”

Jamie awkwardly excuses herself padding towards the staircase and internally cringing at what a hot mess that was. She makes it to the front doors as quickly as possible but pauses with her hand millimeters from the brass knob as a startling thought occurs to her.

If she goes outside, she may run into herself.

Jamie takes a step back into the ominous house deciding it’s not worth the risk. Her best course of action is to prioritize finding a suitable place to hide and hunker down where no one would discover her. Once safely stowed away, she can finally calm down, process this entire ludicrous situation, and make an actual plan to save the love of her life.

From what Jamie could recall, the west wing of the first floor was seldom visited. She proceeds to meander down the empty corridors until she stumbles upon the old library. It was a room only Henry used as a makeshift office whenever he was here and needed to conduct urgent business. Seeing as Henry’s visits were sparse, Jamie decides to settle here for the time being. After a decent amount of time, she hears foots steps of people moving about and smells something divine coming from the kitchen which causes her stomach to rumble. An unpleasant reminder that food is yet another obstacle she has to figure out since she can’t just walk out of here and eat dinner with everyone else.

She waits it out, trying to distract herself from hunger until everyone has gone to bed. When the house is finally dark and quiet, Jamie makes a break for it. Carefully traversing from the safety of the library all the way to the kitchen without making a sound. Once inside the kitchen, she eagerly rummages the refrigerator and cupboards for left-over food she can pilfer.

She settles down at the table digs into her food savoring every delicious morsel. After she is fully sated, she proceeds to wipe down the table erasing any evidence of her dining and then begins to wash her plate and utensils at the sink. As she is scrubbing her fork, she hears a noise just outside the kitchen that sounds a lot like feet shuffling. Jamie haphazardly switches off the tap in a haste to evacuate the kitchen as quickly as possible and then rushes into the adjacent dead-end space. She presses her back against the wall barely concealing herself in the shadows while clutching the damp fork into her chest. Out of her peripheral vision she notices Dani enter the room. Jamie’s heart pounds in her chest somewhat reflexively from being close to Dani but mostly out of fear of blowing her cover.

Much to her surprise, Dani leaves the lights off while she traipses about the kitchen. After locating the kettle, Danie sets it on the stove with a loud clang and ignites the stove burner for the water to boil. Jamie can’t help but watch out of nostalgia as Dani poorly makes tea. No matter how many times Jamie tried to show Dani how to make a proper cuppa, it just never stuck. She would give anything now to have just one more taste of Dani’s weak and sugary tea like concoction. Her lips upturn into a small smile at the possibility. If only she can succeed in changing her love’s fate.

As Dani settles at the kitchen table, Jamie hears another disturbing sound that causes an icy chill to course through her veins: the dripping faucet. She clenches her eyes shut and presses her body as close to the wall as humanly possible hoping Dani can’t also hear the pounding in her chest. Thankfully, Dani was oblivious to the racket. She simply sat there sipping every last drop of her tea in silence with her brows furrowed as if she were lost in thought. Jamie continues hiding in the shadows fighting the urge to comfort Dani about her troubles until Dani finally leaves the kitchen.

It’s the audible and perplexed ‘What the...’ coming from the foyer that grabs her attention.

Jamie tip toes from the kitchen, peering behind a wall to assess the situation. There she notices Dani staring in disbelief at the array of muddy footprints littering the hardwood floor from the wide-open front doors all the way up and down the grand staircase. Jamie releases a silent sigh as it dawns on her just how close Dani was to encountering Viola on her very first night at the manor.

Later that evening, Jamie tosses and turns on the cold floor of the library to get comfortable. Eventually, she settles flat on her back while her mind races a mile a minute. Haunted by Dani’s narrow escape from Viola. Had she finished her tea sooner, she could have already been in Viola’s clutches. Jamie had been so focused on the hope of saving Dani she never considered the possibility of losing her all over again.

She spends the rest of her restless night grappling with the reality that she only has one shot at saving Dani and can’t afford to mess anything up. After that disturbing revelation, Jamie resigns to the fact that she isn’t going to fall asleep anytime soon and spends the rest of the night hatching a plan to keep a closer eye on Viola and everyone else.

Jamie keeps to the shadows over the next few days. Taking the opportunity to learning everyone’s routines in the hope of remaining undetected by everyone, including her other self. By the end of the week, she knows the whereabouts of everyone coming in and out of Bly Manor at all times.

For instance, she now knows that every morning Hannah exits her room and heads for the kitchen at precisely 6 o’clock on the dot. The housekeeper sits at the kitchen table sipping her morning tea and lingering until Owen turns up at 6:30 to start preparing breakfast. As Owen works, the pair quietly chat and steal flirtatious glances at one another, often smiling when they think the other isn’t looking.

It’s sweet and wonderful to see Owen so happy again.

Jamie knew he was struggling with losing Hannah over the years. Even when he was at his happiest, his smile never quite reached his eyes the way it does when he is with Hannah. Now that she saved Hannah from Peter’s clutches, maybe Owen can get his second chance at happiness just like her and Dani.

That is, if Jamie can truly rid them all of Viola’s influence for the foreseeable _ever_.

Hannah and Owen’s alone time is short lived. Eventually Dani and the kids trickle down for breakfast at around 7:30 in the morning. While everyone is in the kitchen enjoying breakfast, Jamie takes advantage of the roughly thirty-minute mealtime to shower and keep from turning into a disgusting mess.

She also knows that on Tuesdays other Jamie is out in the greenhouse tending to the seedlings from morning until noon. Which gives her the perfect opportunity to pilfer the extra pair of clean clothing other Jamie keeps stashed away in the truck. Now since Dasha failed to explain all the nuances of time traveling, Jamie has no way of knowing for sure whether or not stealing from herself is against the rules of time traveling. So, she decides to throw other Jamie off her trail by leaving notes scribbled in childlike handwriting in the denim pants pockets in the hopes of pinning the dirty clothing on Miles and Flora. Not that other Jamie would suspect a future Jamie was stealing her clothes to wear them, but still, better safe than sorry.

Now that she has a better grasp on everyone’s routine, she braves to do some light exploring in search of the talisman that Dasha was referring to. By this point, Jamie has thoroughly scoured the contents of the library without any luck. Twice in fact, just to be extra sure. The one promising item she discovered was a written history of the Lloyd family. Sadly, the watch did not indicate this was in any way tied to Viola’s ghostly essence nor did the text hint at any possession Viola had that was meaningful to her.

Afterwards, she dug into all the stowaway spots she could access on the first floor with no success. All that remained to be explored was the second story of the house. She opted to avoid it for now, as this area of the manor was typically populated with either Hannah milling about doing her duties or with Dani chasing after the kids. Instead, Jamie decides to bide her time by venturing to the last place she would run into her other self.

The chapel was one of the oldest buildings on the entire estate. Unlike the house, this particular building hasn’t undergone many renovations over the years. Leaving it fully intact in all of its ancient glory. But sadly, there was nothing more than a few used candles, cobwebs, and so much dust held with its stone walls. Even the watch didn’t seem excited by this place. Not even a tiny flicker of neon green.

She soon abandons any hope of finding anything useful. Jamie takes a load off in the last row of pews by unceremoniously plopping onto the bench and laying straight on her back. She checked the watch one last time for good measure. Still no glow, but on the bright side, there were no new tiny numbers on it.

Still, she couldn’t shake the unsettling feelings in the pit of her stomach.

The inevitability of running out of time gnawed at Jamie’s insides each and every day. Not to mention, she was becoming increasingly frustrated with all the dead ends.

Jamie takes a breather, laying with her feet outstretched and tapping the back of her heel against the wood to dispel her nervous energy. The rhythmic knocks reverberating against the stone walls help clear her mind allowing her to plot her next move in peace.

Or so she thought.

“GOT YOU!”

Jamie’s heart nearly leaps out of her chest as she is startled by the familiar voice. In a state of panic, she sits up, and narrowly misses clunking heads with Dani.

Her eyes widened in surprise and her heart, which was thankfully still inside her body, pounds wildly in her chest as she tries to reconcile the fact that Dani _knows_ her secret… somehow… but how? And, more importantly, what does she do now??? If Dani knows the truth, does that affect the butterflies too?!

As she silently panics, Dani begins rambling without taking a single breath as if feeding off of Jamie’s anxiety.

“Oh my god, Jamie I’m so sorry for scaring you like that. I was so sure you were one of the kids hiding in here. Ha, and to think I almost bested them at hide and seek… For once.”

Jamie doesn’t say anything. She breathes in and out as she processes what Dani just said.

The kids. She thought she found one of the kids. Dani _does not_ think her wife from the future has come back to save her from a ghostly possession.

Jamie releases a heavy sigh of relief.

As she calms down, Jamie finally registers how physically close they are. Dani must too. Her eyes dart to the floor and then off to the side as she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. It was something Dani did when she was nervous.

After a few painfully long seconds, Dani leans back and takes a step away from Jamie, putting distance between them. She stands at the edge of the pew. Jamie watches as Dani takes a gander at the inside of the dark and dusty chapel.

“I-I mean recess isn’t that long. So, they couldn’t have gone far. This just seemed like such a decent hiding spot.”

Jamie could relate. That’s exactly what she is doing in here.

“Hate to break it to you, but it’s just you and me here, Poppins.”

Jesus, that felt good to say. The pet name even sounded good to hear out loud after all these years. But nothing compared to the beautiful smile that spread across Dani’s face at the term of endearment.

Very few things would ever compare to Dani’s angelic smile.

“Is that such a bad thing?” Dani retorts coly as she rocks back on her heels, placing her hands in her back pocket.

It’s subtle, but Jamie clocks Dani nibbling her bottom lip. She was flirting. Jesus, it’s been so long since they’ve properly flirted with one another.

Jamie jumps at the chance to keep this going.

“Reckon I can think of a few things worse than being trapped in here with you.”

Dani chuckles and tucks another lock behind her ear. “What are you doing in here anyway? You’re not usually in here at this time of day?”

Jamie’s heart nearly plumets at the very loaded question, knowing she can’t tell her the truth. She rubs her hands on her knees as she thinks of a way to answer Dani without lying to her. When it hits her, she stands up fully, quirking an eyebrow playfully as she takes a step toward Dani.

“You take to memorizing everyone’s schedule around here? Or just mine?”

Jamie allows herself to savor every second of Dani’s face journey as the implication of those two questions dawns on her. The way her eyes widen, and eye lashes quickly bat up and down as she processes the information. To the creeping blush spreading from her check down along her neck when she finally registers Jamie was flirting with her which makes Jamie smirk even wider. To the quiver of her lips as she tries to formulate a response but seems far too flustered to do so. It was all just so Dani. Which is to say, it was unbelievable adorable.

Jamie wants to hug her, kiss her, feel her in any way she could. But she couldn’t. She knew in the present time, that was not going to happen… At least not yet.

And definitely not now.

The pitter patter of tiny feet against stone drew their attention away from each other.

“Uh-oh. You found me Miss Clayton.” Flora mumbles with her head hanging low in defeat.

Dani shakes her head and quickly composes herself. Then she smiles in triumph and pumps her fist in the air. “Yes, I knew this was a good hiding spot.

Jamie laughs at Dani acting smug because she outsmarted a child. God, it was precious. Just when she thought she couldn’t love Dani anymore, she finds herself falling all over again for this enchanting, oddball.

After a few seconds, Flora looks up, furrowing her brow when she notices Jamie.

“Huh, you’re in here? That means you’re not out in the rose garden… How strange.” Flora shakes her head and looks down at the doll clutched in her hands. She scrunches her face again, fiddling with the checkered flannel material on the toy as if she were mulling something over in her mind.

Jamie decides to use Flora’s moment of contemplation, or whatever it was she was doing, as an excuse to get out of here before she inadvertently draws any more unwanted attention to herself.

“You’re right wee one. I should be out in the garden. Those roses aren’t goin’ to trim themselves.”

Dani almost looks a little sad to see her go. “Oh, ok. See you later then?”

“Yeah, I’ll see you later.” Jamie says with a smile. She locks eyes with Dani, stealing one last glance before she leaves.

Jamie left the chapel revitalized from her brief interaction with Dani. The prospect of seeing Dani again and Dani wanting to see her was a much-needed reminder of the bigger picture. Why despite all the dead ends, she can’t give up until she exhausts every possible lead and scours ever millimeter of the Bly property. She vows to keep fighting until Dani is safe.

Over the next couple of days, Jamie keeps to herself yet again. Biding her time and waiting for the right opportunity to explore the second story of the manor for the mystery talisman. Sure enough, as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

An opportunity did present itself, albeit in a rather morbid fashion, in the form of Owen’s mother’s funeral. Jamie knew that the manor would mostly be empty today. In fact, now that Hannah was still alive, she accompanied Owen along with other Jamie leaving only Dani and the kids behind. Jamie lurks in the shadows waiting for Dani to take the kids outside before making her move.

She searches the off-limits section of the house where the kids’ parents used to reside. Much to her disappointment, she finds nothing. She continues ransacking other areas part of the second floor with no success.

Finally, she moves onto the children’s quarters, starting with Miles’s bedroom. As she was rummaging through the ample toys in his closet, she hears the sound of footsteps creaking up the stairs. The quickly approaching sound forces her to hide in the closet. There she waits in silence trying not to focus on the irony of willingly locking herself in the closet.

She doesn’t know how long she stays in there, straining her ear for any sound. Holding her breath when she hears creaking, or shuffling, or any sound whatsoever. What she does know, is when she finally emerges from the closet, the sun is hanging low just settling along the horizon signaling the inevitable night fall to come. Jamie knew Owen and his support group would be back from the funeral any minute now. She decides it’s too risky to keep exploring and abandons this quest for now.

She manages to make it to the safety of the library unnoticed. There she plots her next move.

Jamie decides to take advantage of the adults bonding outside by the fire and the kids tucked away sleeping in their beds. While everyone else is preoccupied, she will test out Dasha’s salt trap circle thing using the massive salt container she knicked from the kitchen.

She slips out into the field taking cover behind shrubbery as she passes the adults sitting by the fire. Against her own better judgement, she takes a quick glance at Dani and other Jamie sitting next to each other engaged in a private conversation. Jamie feels a swooping sensation in the pit of her stomach. She knew Dani was asking her if they could take a walk and go somewhere private. As expected, the two of them simultaneously stand up and move together in the direction of the greenhouse with a bottle of wine in tow. She couldn’t help but feel a bit envious that other Jamie is moments away from kissing Dani for the very first time tonight.

After Dani and other Jamie leave, she makes her way out to the lake walking as far away from the greenhouse as possible. There she waits along Viola’s path leaving a sizable distance between herself and the lake where Viola will inevitably emerge from.

Once Viola is visible, Jamie springs into action. She draws a salt semi-circle leaving a gap large enough for Viola to walk into. Once the zombie ghost enters, she quickly scurries behind her and completes the unbroken circle of salt. She stills praying that Dasha’s plan wasn’t a load of nonsense.

Much to Jamie’s relief, the salt trap works. Viola paces against the salt barrier slapping against the invisible wall with her open palms, grunting in what Jamie can only assume is undead frustration. Jamie literally jumps up and down in celebration. Finally, something stopped Viola’s march of terror. She sits there at the edge of the salt circle watching Viola struggle against the mystical force field. Her mind wanders to Dani. She is hopefully this is all going to work out and that she actually can stop Viola for good. If she can keep her trapped here forever, then Dani will have nothing to worry about. Maybe she doesn’t even need the elusive talisman.

Oh… wait…

Even as she was contemplating the much simpler solution, Viola’s fists of furry managed to break through the salt barrier after wearing it down. Much to Jamie’s horror, the powerful ghoul was on the move yet again sluggishly marching down her well-worn muddy path towards the manor.

So, the salt doesn’t contain her forever. Fantastic… but how long can it hold her for?

Jamie needed to get a sense of just how much time she was working with here. Which means, she needs to experiment. Jamie jogs ahead of Viola and traps her in another salt circle. Only this time she counts the ticking seconds hand on the watch. It isn’t long before Viola breaks through the barrier. Maybe 5 minutes tops? Then she is back to her zombie walk along the property. Jamie trudges along after her.

As they approach the manor, Jamie notices a figure that looks a lot like Dani sitting by the fire towards the back of the property. But she wasn’t alone. Jamie veers away from Viola, knowing she won’t come into contact with Dani, and diverts towards the dying fire using the large edge of brush around the fire pit as cover. From the closer angle, Jamie can make out the other figure. Tall, creepy, shiny glasses.

This must be Eddie.

Or the manifestation of Eddie Dani once told her she saw sometimes. She had so many mixed feelings when Dani first confessed this to her, and now, seeing him for herself just brings all of that back full force. What makes it even worse is the noticeable pain on Dani’s face as she deals with him. This was an important step in Dani’s healing process. That was true, but still Jamie wanted to be there for her. To chase away her literal demon. But she couldn’t. All she could do is watch while her stomach turned sour.

Dani continued to sit there, sipping wine straight from the bottle long after Eddie vanished into thin air. The only relief Jamie felt is when she notices Viola lurking around the front of the house on her way back to the lake. At least Dani was safe from that demon for one more night.

Jamie lingers a bit longer after Dani safely goes inside for the night.

She sits by the fire or what’s left or it. The smoking embers barely providing her with any warmth at all. Still, she takes comfort in it. At least she knows the limitations of the salt ring and can plan properly for her next encounter with the all-powerful Viola. She rubs her hands against her knees and moves to run her hand through her hair but stops noticing the bright green glow of the watch.

That was the last thing she remembers before everything faded to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I lasted posted and I'm sure this ending isn't helping me win over your affections in the slightest.
> 
> So please feel free to vent your feelings at me.
> 
> But also, it's a fix-it fic. Gotta break some stuff before we fix it, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the lovely Anon that requested this fic!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed. Please let me know all your thoughts and feelings!
> 
> As always, feel free to yell at me in the comments or reach out on Tumblr @Please-Return-To-Villanelle


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